How to Mend A Broken Heart
by MechanicalCurse
Summary: Mike confessed his love to Will and they started dating. But as they share their first kisses, some memories from the Upside Down come back to haunt Will. Set after Season 3


Will was sitting on the floor of Castle Byers, legs crossed, staring a little shyly at Mike but with a smile on his face. After he came back to Hawkins with his family, the other boy had helped him to rebuild the place from scratch. And with each log put into place, he didn't only repair the fort, but also mended Will's broken heart.

The day he destroyed the place out of despair and rage seemed like a far away nightmare now. So many things had happened since then... The fight with the Mind Flayer on the 4th of July, his family moving out then returning to Hawkins after Hopper reappeared, Mike and El realizing they weren't meant to be more than friends, and then, then...

Mike confessing his love to Will.

Which lead them to where they were now. Despite having waited this moment for so long, neither of them was bold enough to go beyond soft, whispered words in public. Mike also knew how much slurs affected him because of how his father used it against him. He didn't want to expose his boyfriend to more hurt by acting recklessly.

Castle Byers was their safe haven, hiding them from the eyes of the world like it had once hidden Will from the Demogorgon. In here, they didn't have to think twice and be aware of their surroundings before touching each other. And so, when Will's hands started fidgeting on his lap from anticipation, Mike was quick to grab them in his in a reassuring motion.

"Hey, it's okay, don't panic." Mike murmured before adding "We don't have to do anything if you don't feel ready."

"No, I want this, really, it's just... I've never kissed anyone before."

Mike knew him well enough to understand everything those words implied. That Will never expected another boy to reciprocate his feelings. That he thought Mike would only see him as a freak if he learned the truth. That he feared the Upside Down had left him too broken for him to be loved by anyone. That he was afraid he would disappoint Mike and end up alone again.

Even now, the words he used in the heat in the moment against Will still haunted Mike. It's not my fault you don't like girls. How could he have been so stupid at the time, hurting Will when he was already so frail, when he need someone to protect him, not to break him? Maybe it wasn't the only reason, but those words were certainly part of why Will was being so anxious now, Mike couldn't deny it, no matter how much he hated it.

"Don't worry, we can take it slow. No need to rush things."

He gently caressed Will's cheek with the back of his fingers, hoping to convey all his love for him through this simple gesture. And then he met Will's eyes. Stunning, perfect hazel eyes, filled with so much emotion...

Mike slowly leaned towards him, stopping half way to make sure he didn't pressure Will into anything he didn't want. However, Will surprised him by quickly closing the distance between them, until their lips touched.

It was a slow, gentle kiss, their lips barely brushing against each other. As expected, Mike was more confident and he naturally took the lead. Will's inexperience made it a little awkward at times, but it still left them with butterflies in their bellies.

"Damn, that was..."

"I know." Mike whispered, out of breath after they parted.

He was still holding Will's hand tight in his and they shared a joyful smile, their hearts beating fast.

In the heat of the moment, they exchanged a few more soft kisses, giggling from happiness. Now that Will was realizing that all this was real, that Mike truly loved him, he wanted to enjoy it to the fullest, afraid to have this ripped away from him, to wake up from this perfect dream.

After a while, Mike put his hands on his chest gently pushing him away. At first, Will didn't understand. Did he do something wrong?

Thankfully, he didn't take long for Mike's eager and longing eyes to reassure him.

"Can I...?"

Will didn't have to ask him what he meant by that. He swiftly nodded, parting his lips, emotions bubbling in his chest. Mike started the next kiss the same way as the others, but half-way through his tongue gently started exploring Will's mouth.

For a split second, Will found the sensation nice. Then he froze. Disturbing memories flooded his mind. Suddenly, he wasn't with Mike in Castle Byers anymore, but in the Upside Down, attached to a wall, the Demogorgon forcing something slimy down his throat and there was nothing Will could do to fight against it.

The reminiscence quickly faded, only to be replaced by the Mind Flayer invading his mouth, burning him from the inside, taking possession of his body and violating his mind. Once more, he was completely vulnerable as more of the monster kept pouring and pouring into him and...

"Will! Will!"

All of a sudden, he was back with Mike, his boyfriend shaking his shoulders in hope he would reach him. Will quickly realize that he was trembling and that tears tainted his cheeks. He instinctively put a hand on his neck, but he didn't feel the presence of any monster. This was all the product of his memories and nothing more.

He threw himself into Mike's arms, sobbing into his shoulder. It wasn't the first time he relived those horrible moments, but it always left him shaken, afraid the monsters would come back to torture him again.

"Will, what's happening? Did I do something wrong?"

"Not you... The Demogorgon... The Mind Flayer..."

Finding his words was hard, but he gathered his strength so that Mike wouldn't misunderstand him and think they were back.

"It's through my mouth that they... They..."

His voice broke, but it was enough for Mike to understand what the problem was. He gently ran a hand through Will's soft hair, trying his best to make him feel safe.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think that kissing you would bring those memories back. But you're safe with me now. I'm not the Demogorgon and I'm not the Mind Slayer. I never would force you into anything, Will. I promise."

"I know." He whispered, his hands desperately grasping at Mike's shirt.

Some part of Will hated himself. He had dreamed of that moment for so long, had imagined kissing Mike so many times, but he ruined everything because he was just too weak to put the past behind.

"I'm sorry... I wish I could..."

"You don't have to be sorry for anything, Will. We'll just have to take things slower, okay?"

"But I... I wanted this. I wanted it so bad."

Mike went silent for a moment, although he didn't stop caressing his hair. Will was afraid he did or said something wrong, but Mike spoke up before he could apologize again.

"What if... What if I let you kiss me? I mean, I wouldn't move at all, you would be completely in charge, maybe that could... Help?"

He sounded a little awkward, but in a way that was just so... so Mike that Will couldn't help but smile. It was so comforting, to see his boyfriend doing his best to find a solution to his problem.

"Yeah, maybe that could work..."

"Do you... Do you want to try now? Only if you want to of course, I mean.."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Will smiled shyly and Mike couldn't believe how breathtaking he was. So beautiful and yet so fragile because of everything he'd been through in the Upside Down. As he took that sight in, Mike promised himself that he would do all he could to protect Will so that he would never experience anything like that ever again.

Will tilted his head towards him and Mike opened his lips for him. When they finally touched, he had to remind himself to stay still. Not being the one initiating the kiss was weird, but not unpleasant. At first, Will acted timidly, but he steadily grew bolder, until his tongue caressed Mike's. He took his time enjoying the kiss, even eliciting a moan from the back of Mike's throat.

He only put an end to the kiss when they both had to breathe, his forehead touching Mike's.

"So how was it? You didn't feel bad or anything?"

"No, it was nice." Will sighed happily "Thank you."

He laid his head on Mike's chest, cuddling close to him. Mike's breath got caught in his throat and his heart started beating faster. This made him regret that he didn't realize sooner how he felt about Will.

"Can we... Just stay like this for a while?" Will whispered, barely loud enough for Mike to hear.

"Of course. I'll be here to watch over you." Mike promised as he started playing with Will's hair once more.

Maybe the Upside Down left Will broken, but as long as he would be by his side, Mike would do everything in his power to repair him step by step.


End file.
